Popular
by VocaloidGurl123
Summary: Teto is transferring from Yahama to Crypton High with dreams of becoming popular, but she soon discovers it's not as easy as it looks. TetoXLen! Rated T for possible chapters.
1. Chapter 1

** Disclaimer: I do not own Vocaloid, UTAUloid, ot the cover picture. Enjoy! :)**

I sat in the back of my mom's car, fidgeting. It would be my first day at Crypton High School, and I was extremely nervous. My hands were clammy and shaking like mad. I looked at my mom with a pleading face.

"You'll do fine, Teto," She said with a semi-comforting smile. "Why are you so worried?"

There was no use trying to explain it. She was a mom, her high school days were far behind her. How could she possibly understand the constant struggle for popularity?

I tried to give her a reassuring smile, but I'm pretty sure I ended up looking constipated in the end. "Thanks, Mom," I replied. "I'm just worried about finding friends."

Which was true. It wasn't the only thing behind my tension, though.

"Oh please!" She laughed. "You had tons of friends back at Yahama! I'm sure you'll have at least five by the end of the week!" We pulled up to the front of the school and I opened the door with a sweaty hand. My mom and I exchanged a quick I love you before I slammed the door shut. As the car drove away, panic began to rise in me.

This is it, I thought, adjusting my tie and bag. I scoped out the entrance to the school. Social cliques were hanging out everywhere near the front yard and on the front steps. I wonder if I'll belong to one anytime soon, I thought, making my way to the front steps. As I walked by, a few people's voices dropped to whispers, and I assumed I was the topic they were quietly discussing.

When I entered the school, I noticed a sign labeled Front Office plastered next to a door to my immediate right. I went in and asked who I suspected was the secretary for my schedule.

"My name is Teto Kasane," I explained. "I'm starting school here from Yahama High School."

"Ah! So you're the new student Principal Megurine told me about!" She smiled. "I'll get your schedule for you!"

As soon as I received the schedule, the bell rang out and kids came rushing in through the front doors.

"Good luck!" The lady said with a wink, and I stepped into the sea of kids to look for my first class.

The first half of the day breezed by easily. Enter a class, get assigned a seat, sit through class, repeat. This went on for five periods until first lunch, which was the freshmen and sophomores. This was the part of the day I was dreading the most, because it was when I would more likely be branded as a loser.

I clutched my brown paper lunch sack and strolled into the cafeteria with as much confidence as I could. My act quickly faded when I entered, looking around desperately for somewhere to sit. I stood there, twirling in circles, for what seemed like forever, searching for an empty table.

"Yo. Twin tails."

My head swiveled to the source of the voice. A girl with sheet white hair pulled into a purple and black bow was staring directly at me with piercing red eyes. My eyes grew wide and I pointed at myself as if asking, me? She nodded and I made my expression look cool and collected as I walked towards the table. Inside, though, I was bursting with joy.

I sat down in the only open seat at the table, which was across from the girl who called me. She stared at me, and so did everyone else at the table.

"Uh… Hi. I'm Teto," I spoke, breaking the silence. "I'm starting here from Yahama."

White Hair nodded with acknowledgment. "I'm Haku," she said before popping a tater tot into her mouth.

After swallowing, she cleared her throat and gestured to the girl sitting next to her. The girl's hair was pulled into a side ponytail and her golden eyes were glued to her phone.

"This is Neru, and she's addicted to her phone," She explained. At the mention of her name, Neru looked up and nodded in my direction before going back to her device.

Haku rolled her eyes and continued on. "That's Uta sitting next to you, but we all call her Defoko." I looked to my right at a girl with short, violet hair who was staring off into the distance.

Geez, so far this table seems like a bunch of depressing squares… I thought.

"The girl sitting across from Defoko is Luna," Haku continued, and I looked over to a girl with light blonde hair and bright green eyes. She smiled shyly at me, and I smiled back, relieved that at least someone at this table was showing a little hospitality (other than Haku, of course).

Haku took a sip of her vegetable juice before continuing. "Over there is Tei." I peered my head over Defoko to see a girl staring dreamily towards another table. I glanced in the direction of her gaze to see a table crowded with people who had an authoritative air about them. My first inference was that they were the popular crowd, but I wanted to ask just to be sure. Just as I opened my mouth to speak a small, timid girl piped up.

"And my name is Momo!" She squealed with a huge grin. Then she looked to Haku with a sad look in her eye. "I can't believe you forgot me, Haku..."

"I didn't forget you!" Haku argued. "I was just saving the best for last!" She smiled gingerly at the light pink-haired girl, who giggled before turning to talk to Defoko.

Haku shook her head and looked to me. "That's everyone," she concluded. "Any questions?"

"Yeah," I replied, gesturing to before mentioned table. "Who are they?


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey guys! I'm sorry the first chapter sucked, this one might get a little boring too… I'll make the next ones more exciting, I promise! R&R please, constructive criticism is advised! Thanks! **

Haku looked in the direction I was pointing and made a noise that sounded like a _tsk _and and a snort combined. "Them? They're the popular group." She narrowed her eyes and glared at me. "If I were you, I would avoid talking to them."

Her reaction had shocked me. "W-What?" I exclaimed. "Why?"

"They're the ROOT OF ALL EVIL!" Haku replied, making large gestures with her arms. I scooted back a little in my chair. "Have you never dealt with popular before?!"

It took me awhile to reply, partly from being scared of her reaction. "N-No, not really…" I muttered in response. Back at Yahama, I had been about as involved with the populars as the average boy is involved with fashion. All I knew was that everyone worshiped them, and that all the boys adored them.

"Well," Haku practically sneered. "Let me explain to you what they're like."

She pointed to girl with short, brown hair and a curvy figure first. "That's Meiko. She's cold, impatient, and has a low tolerance level. She's also bad at conveying her feelings." I watched as a boy with blue hair tried flirting with her. Instead of doing something cute or flirty in reply, she turned her head and shoved him away by the face.

"Aww," I said sympathetically. "Poor guy."

"Yup," Haku sighed. "That guy is Kaito, and he's probably the nicest of the group. He's funny, flirtatious, outgoing, sensitive…" Haku rested her head in her hands and stared at the boy. I was getting a slight vibe that she had a crush on him. Then she looked back at me with a solemn face. "Him and Meiko are dating."

Suddenly she snapped out of her little Kaito-induced trance and kept on going. "See those two with the blonde hair? Their names are Rin and Len Kagamine," She continued, and I looked at the two.

"Rin is pretty outgoing, but also bossy and protective. Neither of them has dated anyone in three years, when their dad died. Since then, Rin has clung to Len like a cat to a ball of string. Len is quiet and conserved. In fact, I've only heard him speak a few times…"

Len turned his head a little and I got a glimpse of his face. He had stunning, bright blue eyes, a serious facial expression, and shiny, golden hair pulled back in a messy ponytail. I felt my heart flutter in my chest, and I couldn't draw my attention away from him until he turned back to the table.

Haku continued on. "The one with the pink hair is Luka Megurine. She's the principal's daughter, so of course she's the most rebellious of the group. I hear that she also tends to be a little slutty, but I don't really have any evidence to back that up." Finally, Haku looked to the last person left at the table, who was a girl with bright aqua hair tied into perfect pigtails.

"And that," Haku spat. "Is Miku Hatsune. A spoiled, dramatic, cocky, evil little princess. She practically rules the school, except for the people at this table." Haku grinned proudly at that last part. Then she continued with a sneer on her face. "Get on her bad side, and she'll ruin your life, Teto." She glared at me again and then shoved a finger in my face. "So don't talk to her!"

I nodded and jokingly saluted her, which caused her to laugh.

"One last thing," she added. "They think they're all that, just because they think they can sing." Haku rolled her eyes. "They do karaoke every weekend at this lame karaoke bar downtown called Megpoid's." Suddenly her eyes went wide. "Oh no. I shouldn't have told you that." Her facial expression became worried. "Please promise me you won't go!"

I shook my head. "No worries!" I said. "You have my word!"

What Haku didn't know was that my fingers were crossed behind my back.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry it took so long to post a new chapter, I had a bit of a writer's block, I guess. Haha :) Anyways, thanks to those of you who like it! Bear with me! R&R please? *Gives super cute puppy face***

After that day, it was like the week couldn't pass by quick enough. Every day at lunch, I would sit with Haku and her friends. Secretly, though, I wished I was sitting at Miku's table, being the life of the party, holding Len's hands under the table, sharing secrets with the girls at slumber parties…

"Teto!"

I jumped, startled, and turned my attention to Haku who was snapping her fingers right in front of my face. "Hm?" I asked, trying hard to keep my mind on the group.

Haku chuckled and shook her head. "Jeez, your attention span is almost as short as Neru's!"

"I have a long attention span," Neru spoke, still keeping her eyes glued on her phone. "I just prefer to keep it on my phone.

"Whatever!" Haku exclaimed, shoving her and rolling her eyes. "Anyways," Haku said, looking back at me. "We're all having a sleepover this weekend. Wanna go?"

I felt my palms starting to sweat and my mouth felt frozen. I couldn't let Haku know where I planned on going this weekend, but I was terrible at making up excuses.

"Um," I stuttered, wiping my hands on my skirt. "I… I can't. I-I promised some friends from Yahama we could hang out this weekend."

I felt a small twinge of guilt as I watched Haku's face fall, but I quickly shook it away.

"Oh…" Haku sighed, clearly disappointed. "Well, maybe next weekend-"

"Yeah, I really wish I could go," I interrupted. "But they're really counting on hearing about my new school. Their names are SeeU, and IA. Weird names, right? Anyway-"

"Alright! I get it!" Haku exclaimed "You can't go this time! Next weekend for sure!"

"Uh… Yeah! Sure!" I laughed, thankful that I didn't have to lie anymore. Everyone became chatty again, and I tried to keep up with the conversation. It was hard, though. My mind kept drifting towards the group sitting to my right, and it didn't leave for the rest of the day.

When the final bell rang, I felt as if I would explode. _Only one more day,_ I thought with anticipation. _Until I'm popular. One more day until I'm one of them!_

It was Saturday night, and I was adding a few last minute touches to my appearance before leaving for Megpoid's. I was wearing my best pair of skinny jeans, a silver sequined tank top, and a pair of black pumps I had nabbed from my mom's closet when she wasn't paying attention. On Saturdays, it was easier for me to get stuff past my parents because my dad would be upstairs watching golf, and my mom would have her book club over.

I concentrated hard on my reflection in the mirror. My mouth was slightly ajar, and a mascara wand was in my right hand. Carefully, I applied a layer on each eye until they were perfectly even. Next, I put a pair of silver loop earring on my ears, followed by three silver, thin bracelets. When I was almost satisfied, I added the finishing touch; a light layer of pink lip balm. Satisfied, I smiled and headed downstairs. My older brother Ted had agreed to drive me, and he was curled up on the couch reading a book. Like my mom, he enjoyed school and reading. I was more like my dad. While I was smart and applied myself to school, I preferred to spend my free time doing social activities.

I plopped down on the couch next to him. "Are you ready to go?"

He held a finger up to me and folded over the corner of the page. I rolled my eyes and studied the front cover. "Is that-"

"_Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix_, in Spanish." He finished my sentence for me. He placed the novel on the coffee table and got up, searching his pocket for his keys. While he was searching, he looked me up and down, surveying my outfit.

"Why are you so dressed up?" He asked suspiciously. "Meeting a boy or something?"

I felt my cheeks grow warm with a blush. "N-No!" I exclaimed, slapping him on the arm. "It's just… I hear Megpoid's is a flashy place!"

"Sure…" He scoffed, and I thumped him on the forehead.

"I'm going out with friends, Mom!" I called to the kitchen as I grabbed Ted's arm and dragged him to the door.

"Okay," She replied. "Be home by midnight!"

Ted and I headed out the front door, and I got in the front seat of his 2013 Volkswagen. It was really quiet other than the radio, which was playing classical music. I didn't bother trying to change it because I was so jumpy. The ride there was shorter than I thought it would be, and I got out of the car as soon as we got there. Before I shut the door Ted said, "Call me when you're ready for me to pick you up!" I didn't have time to reply before the door shut and he drove away, leaving me by myself.

Before entering I took a deep breath and checked my reflection in the glass of the front windows. Looking in, I saw Miku and her friends. I knew they would be here, but actually seeing them all made me even more nervous. I took a deep, shaky breath and walked in, immediately making my face look cool and collected.

The first thing I noticed was the lighting. For a karaoke club, the lights were dim and unusually warm. The hostess asked me if I needed a table and I nodded. She led me to a table close to Miku's which was right next to a small stage. From the corner of my eye I noticed all of their eyes turn to me, and I acted like I was checking a message on my phone. Suddenly a girl with bright green, choppy hair walked on stage and adjusted microphone. My bet was that she was the DJ.

"Yo, everybody!" She shouted into the microphone. "How are y'all doing tonight?"

Everyone in the club hollered and whistled, which made her grin.

"Alright!" She exclaimed. "We're gonna start up with karaoke again in a few minutes, so you better hurry and get your name on the list!"

_That's you!_ The voice inside my head screamed, and I stood up- as well as half of the people in the club- and hurried over to a small podium with a thick, laminated book on it. I ended up being third in line (right behind Miku and some other person). When it was my turn to choose a song, I slowly flipped through the section of the book labeled pop so I wouldn't miss a single song. Suddenly I stopped scanning because I knew exactly what I wanted to sing. It was my favorite song and the one I thought would impress Miku the most.

As I walked back to my table, I snuck a quick glance at Miku and her friends to see them all staring at me. When I sat down, Miku leaned over to whisper something in Luka's ear, and Luka nodded. As the secret got passed on to everyone at the table, I felt a blush creep on my face. A waitress came by and asked if I wanted anything, and I asked for a Diet Coke. As soon as she left the lights faded and bright, fluorescent lights accompanied by colored lights took their place, giving Megpoid's a much more club-like feeling.

"Okay, first up we have a Megpoid's regular, Miku Hatsune, singing World is Mine!"

The crowd cheered and clapped as Miku flashed a smile and headed toward the stage. Megpoid gave her a thumbs-up before she played the song.

Right off the bat, I could see why she was admired for her voice. Her voice was sort of light, I guess you could say. She sashayed around the stage, singing effortlessly and winking at appropriate times in the song. One word that came to mind was _diva_, but I figured it would be best if that word stayed in my mind.

When her performance was over, she smiled a big, sweet smile and curtseyed. Megpoid next announced the next singer and their song, but I don't remember much about it except that the song was Love is War and that their voice cracked horribly on the high notes. I was too nervous to actually be paying attention. Instead, I was going through every possible worst-case scenario in my head.

"And now we have Teto Kasane singing Dead End!"

A gasp of whispers went through the crowd as I slowly stood up and walked toward the stage. The disbelief showed in the way they clapped and their faces that the crowd probably thought I was crazy. _She's gonna sing THAT song?_ It was clear on their faces, and I HAD to prove them wrong. I tried hard to put as much sass in each step as I could but my legs were shaking so bad it was almost impossible. When I started up the steps, the DJ looked at me with a look of concern.

"Kid, that song's pretty fast. You sure you can do it?"

I nodded and smiled. She still looked pretty unsure when she started the track though.

The music started, and I gripped my hands tightly around the microphone so no one could see my shaking hands. The first twenty seconds or so are just beeping sounds so I took that time to collect my nerves and prepare myself. And then it was time for me to start singing, and my voice kicked in strong and steady as ever.

_I was born, and then I realized_

_I am but a simulation_

_Yet still I shall sing_

_My life is eternal_

_If it is a toy _

_that counterfeits songs..._

_I deem that acceptable _

_I'll bite into this bread and look into the sky,_

_let the broth spill from my eyes_

_My personality depends on the songs _

_The roots of my foundation are unstable _

_The scenes I call home have already crumbled_

_These are times that linger in no one's mind _

_Anything I have resembling a soul has vanished_

_I can see into the eye of the maelstrom _

_A dying world..._

I could see the astonishment in the eyes of everyone in the audience as I finished that part of the chorus and took a deep breath. My adrenaline began to pump and the Jell-O feeling in my legs was replaced by a jumpy, jittery feeling. I let my eyes wander towards Miku and her friends and felt an even bigger jolt of excitement when I saw their faces held the same expression as everyone else's. The first verse was about to start so I grabbed the mike off its stand and moved around stage with it in my hands, letting my voice, eyes, and body do all the work. Before I knew it, the final part of the song had snuck up on me and I managed to sneak in a breath before it started.

_I was born, and then I realized_

_I am but a simulation _

_Yet still I shall sing _

_My life is eternal_

_If it is a toy _

_that counterfeits songs..._

_I deem that acceptable _

_I'll bite into this bread and look into the sky,_

_let the broth spill from my eyes_

_I sleep inside the display that depicts the end _

_I guess this must be the "garbage bin"_

_Since my memories are vanishing so easily..._

_But you know, it's you I'll never forget _

_And all those fun times _

_I wonder if you still remember the flavor of leeks _

_That seems tattooed on my tongue_

_In the end _

_I will sing a song _

_that only you wanted to hear_

_I plead that I want to sing again _

_But that wish is too big to grant_

_This is where we part ways _

_My feelings have all vanished into thin air _

_I'm dissolving back into 1s and 0s _

_It's closing curtain for my tale_

_Isn't it a little sad _

_that nothing more is left? _

_All but the memory of a voice will fade _

_Naught but a name shall remain_

_If that alone can come true _

_In the world of those who made me _

_I would like to think that _

_My final song was not in vain..._

_ARIGATOU... SOSHITE... SAYONARA..._

With that, my performance was over. I felt a huge grin sneak up on my face as the audience clapped and cheered. I looked to my right to see Miku telling something to the group before getting up and walking towards the stage.

My heart pounded and my hands started shaking as I stepped off the stage to wait for Miku to arrive. When she did, she paused in front of me. Her eyes looked right into mine, and I felt as if she were trying to peer into my soul. Next, her eyes looked me up and down while she nodded and muttered to herself.

"You're new at Crypton, right?" She finally asked. I nodded, trying to keep from seeing nervous or jittery.

"Yeah, my name's Teto," I responded casually. "I came from Yahama."

Miku nodded and did another quick scan over me with her eyes. It felt a little uncomfortable but I knew I'd have to keep my cool if I ever wanted to be friends with her and the others.

"Hmm…" She muttered mostly to herself. "You're pretty, you dress nice, and you can sing… Why don't you come and sit with us?"

"Sure," I shrugged like it was no big deal. In my head, though, I screamed at the top of my lungs.

I followed her back to the table with a blank, cool expression. When we sat down she introduced me to everyone, and I pretended these were all names I hadn't heard before. My heart gave leapt a little when Len silently gave his head a little jerk.

I spent the whole night chatting and laughing and getting to know everyone a little better. Turns out that Haku couldn't be farther from wrong! Meiko was perfectly friendly, just obviously shy about her and Kaito, who was really funny and an altogether spaz. Rin was nice but she didn't say too much. Luka, on the other hand, was WAY outgoing. Also, she wore a tank top that was cut a tad too low for my taste and a mini skirt, which backed Haku up on the "slut" idea. She was also right about Len, who didn't say much except for 'yeah' or 'I remember that!' But every word that came out of his mouth sent my heart beating like a drum.

Haku was farthest off about Miku. She told funny stories with her face full of emotion. She was very open and friendly. Time flew by and before I knew it the time was 11:30.

"Oh crap, I gotta leave!" I exclaimed bolting up. Everyone jumped and I cursed in my head.

"Aww, you do? Well, give me your number and I'll text you," Miku said.

I told her my number and smiled a little when I saw Meiko saving it into her phone, too. I turned to walk to the door when I heard a casual, "See you around." I turned and saw Len looking at me and grinning a little. I grinned back and waved before skipping out the door. To my surprise Ted was already waiting outside and I clambered into the front seat. As soon as I sat down a message lit up my phone.

_Sit with us Monday :) –Miku_

I smiled a little and texted back, _Kay :)_

"So," Ted started, pulling me out of my daze. "How was it?"

"Awesome," I sighed, grinning and gazing out the window.


End file.
